Stormy Sky woke up excited than normal today. In fact, he had woken up more excited than he had ever been. Today, Black Berry and Rock Path would be taking him to their den to see their family. It would be a new part of the forest that Stormy Sky had never explored before, and he couldn't wait to see what it would be like. Of course, he had to remember that his mother only hunted for so long, and recently, she had been cutting back now that Stormy Sky managed to catch a piece of prey every now and then.

As soon as Gentle Breeze woke and headed out of the den, Stormy Sky took off and met the brothers at his usual spot. They were quick to appear, and they too looked excited upon meeting Stormy Sky.

"I can't wait to see your place!" Stormy Sky exclaimed as he followed them. "It'll be so cool meeting other wolves as well. Are your parents nice?"

"The nicest," Black Berry promised. "I think they've been getting lonely out here, so it might be nice to have them meet you, and maybe your mother, one day."

Stormy Sky nodded, though it was true he hadn't told the brothers yet that his mother was unaware of these meetings. He felt slightly guilty for not sharing the truth, but it was more for his mother's sake than his. He knew her past and what had led her to take off. It was probably best she didn't interact with too many other wolves around here.

"I can't stay too long," Stormy Sky warned at the mention of his mother. "My mom will have breakfast for me to eat soon and--"

"Nonsense. It'll just be a quick visit," Black Berry promised. Rock Path didn't seem too sure.

The terrain grew more mountainous as they continued on their journey. Stormy Sky suddenly realized that it took the brothers much longer to meet their training place than it took him, though he supposed that made sense considering they were older. At last though, after heading up quite a mountainous hill, they arrived back into dense forest. Tucked away behind boulders and towering pine trees was a cave.

"Is that your home?" Stormy Sky asked.

"Sure is," Black Berry said. "We've lived here all our lives."

"It's so quiet up here," Stormy Sky murmured.

"Well, most of the time," Rock Path said. 

"Pups, are you back?" A feminine voice called out from the den. Stormy Sky was quick to remember his mother. He hoped he would get back before she did and that her hunt would take her a little longer today. He hadn't realized how quite far away the brothers were.

"Out here, Mom!" Black Berry called. "We brought that pup we were telling you about."

Stormy Sky tilted his head as the oddest-looking she-wolf emerged from the den. She had red-tinted fur and floppy ears and while larger than Stormy Sky, her sons certainly were larger than her. Behind her, a dark black wolf emerged behind her. Their father, Stormy Sky presumed.

"You're not a wolf," was the first thing that embarrassingly came out of Stormy Sky's mouth.

The she-wolf seemed taken aback.

"She is too!" Rock Path argued.

The she-wolf only seemed to ignore him. "While I do look a little different than my mate and pups, I assure you I'm a wolf deep down."

"S-Sorry. I've never seen anyone else like you before," Stormy Sky admitted.

"Quite alright. What's your name?" she asked.

"Stormy Sky," he said.

"Nice to meet you, Stormy Sky," she said. "My name is Hazel Branch, and this is my mate, Crow's Laugh."

The black wolf dipped his head. "Nice to meet you, Stormy Sky. Rock Path and Black Berry have told us a lot about you. It's not every day we meet wolves here that don't belong to packs. Why don't you come inside out of the sun? It's warm today."

Stormy Sky nodded and followed them inside. The den was cool, and he was quick to sprawl out on the rocky floor, enjoying the way that the cool rock cooled down his warm fur.

"So you live with your mother?" Hazel Branch asked.

Stormy Sky nodded. "Yes, just my mom. She used to belong to a pack, but not anymore."

"That's too bad. We used to belong to a pack too, but we like it out here," Hazel Branch said. "Isn't that right?"

Crow's Laugh nodded beside her and nudged his chin against hers. Stormy Sky felt jealous for a moment, envying the brothers for having two loving parents. He knew his mother loved his father, but he also knew that it was likely he would never even meet his father. He wished he could see his parents embrace that way too.

"I'm surprised your mother let you come all the way out here. It can be dangerous, you know," Crow's Laugh said.

"Dangerous?" Stormy Sky asked. "But Rock Path and Black Berry will protect me!"

Crow's Laugh chuckled some. "Well, I'd hope, but even they're still mastering techniques as well."

"There's been rogues in the area, for quite a while now," Hazel Branch explained. "We...lost our daughter a little while back." All four of them hung their heads in sorrow.

"So sorry," was all Stormy Sky managed to say. 

"It's best to be careful around here," Hazel Branch warned. "Those rogues were notorious in our old pack as well."

"Oh, in my mother's pack there was also a rogue attack!" Stormy Sky exclaimed.

"I suppose they travel far, then," Crow's Laugh said, though the expressions of the two had begun to change some. Black Berry and Rock Path did not seem bothered, but Stormy Sky definitely had begun to notice that they were looking at Stormy Sky a bit differently.

"Where did you say your mother was from?" Hazel Branch asked.

"I don't know myself," Stormy Sky admitted. "But...I actually should probably be heading back to her," he said. He moved his body into a sitting position and shook off his pelt.

"So soon?" Black Berry complained. "But you just got here!"

"Well, she doesn't like me to be gone long..."

"That's an interesting mark you have there," Crow's Laugh noticed. Stormy Sky realized he was referring to the lightning strike on his chest.

"Oh. Yes. It gets passed down through each generation," Stormy Sky explained.

"Stormy Sky," Hazel Branch said, her voice growing more serious, "Who exactly is your mother?"

Suddenly, a shadow cast over behind Stormy Sky. He turned, finding his mother looking into the den. Her eyes were widened, and her limbs were shaking. Stormy Sky suddenly knew he was in trouble.

"Stormy Sky?! Where have you been?! I leave to go hunting, and you're just gone. You can't run off like that--" Suddenly, Gentle Breeze froze when her gaze landed onto Crow's Laugh and Hazel Branch.

"Crow's Laugh? Hazel Branch? You two are alive?" Gentle Breeze asked.

"Hello, Gentle Breeze," Hazel Branch said.